Iran Suspected in Hacking of Gas Station Fuel Systems

Hackers have been poking at America's gas stations again, and US officials think they know where the keystrokes are coming from. Multiple sources told CNN that Iran-linked hackers are suspected in recent breaches of systems that track fuel levels in underground storage tanks at stations across several states. The attackers reportedly accessed internet-exposed automatic tank gauges left without passwords and in some cases manipulated display readings, though there's no sign they altered actual fuel volumes or caused physical damage. Still, US officials and experts warn that access to those systems could in theory be used to conceal a dangerous leak.

Iran is a top suspect in part because its operatives have eyed these systems before, and its broader cyber activity has intensified during the current war against the US and Israel. Tehran-linked groups have lately hit US oil, gas, and water facilities, disrupted a medical device maker, and run hack-and-leak operations targeting officials, including the FBI director, per CNN. Investigators may never be able to prove who was behind the tank-gauge breaches, but the episode highlights how many critical US systems remain poorly secured—and how Iran increasingly favors opportunistic, scalable cyber and information campaigns over more easily deterred physical attacks.